The present disclosure is directed to auxiliary lubrication, and more particularly use of a back-up auxiliary lubrication system for lubrication failure emergencies to provide temporary protection and cooling of mechanical components.
Lubrication systems, such as those used in aircraft gas turbine engines, supply lubricant to bearings, gears and other engine components that require lubrication. The lubricant, typically oil, cools the components and protects them from wear. A typical oil lubrication system includes conventional components such as an oil tank, pump, filter and oil supply conduits.
Lubrication systems circulate lubricant fluids to reduce friction, wear, and corrosion; clean, and seal mechanically moving gear, bearing, and piston metal part surfaces in transportation vehicles and stationary power equipment as well as to provide cooling of integrated fuel systems. Lubrication systems are typically comprised of tanks for the base oil or fluid, de-aerators, filters, by-pass valves, oil coolers/heat exchangers, and sumps or drains.
If one of the lubrication system components fails, malfunctions or sustains damage, the oil supply to the lubricated component may be disrupted resulting in irreparable damage to the component and undesirable corollary consequences. For example, if an engine oil pump fails or a supply conduit develops a severe leak, the resulting loss of oil pressure could disable the engine by causing overheating and/or seizure of the bearings.
Lubrication protection can be compromised by the depletion of lubricant additives, contamination of the lubricant with other fluids, development of a leak in the lubricant system, or gases, or the plugging of the system filters, valve jets or actuators, or channels. The loss of lubricant circulation, oil starvation, or breakdown of lubricity causes increased friction heating, wear, and vibration, ultimately leading to several possible modes of catastrophic failures, including welding and seizing of mechanical parts or even fire.